I remember the first time I had Colcannon like it was yesterday. My tiny Irish grandmother, Sadie, lived with us for a period of time when I was in junior high school. While my mom usually did all the cooking, there was one dish Grandma Sadie made that was melt-in-your-mouth delicious….Colcannon.
Never a fan of cooked cabbage, I was 100% confident I was NOT going to like this stuff. I was totally o.k. with losing some of my Irish “chops” if it meant I didn’t have to let that stuff pass my lips. I’ll take mashed potatoes any day, but cooked cabbage….no way! Mixed together? OMG…what a horrible thing to do to potatoes!
But there was something about an Irish grandma making a traditional dish for her family that broke my vow of refusal. I’m guessing it was listening to my +90-year old grandma talk while she cooked – she had a beautiful voice with the tiniest twinge of a brogue that must have been passed down to her.
Oftentimes, Colcannon calls for bacon to be swirled into and crumbled on top. In my very humble Irish opinion (is that an oxymoron?!), bacon is an attempt to substitute traditional Irish bacon, or rashers. I make my Colcannon starting with the best way to cook cabbage – with pork hocks. That way, the cabbage picks up the subtle pork flavor and it plays in the background of the dish. The real focus is a tribute to potatoes, and if you can find it….real Irish butter.
As a comfort food, this dish does it all for me. Hot, buttery and smooth with just a hint of pork flavor. Give me a bowl of this, and I’m totally “in the zone.” Regardless of what you think about cooked cabbage, you’ll want to try my Traditional Irish Colcannon. It’ll make you feel a wee bit Irish, if only for a day. Do shláinte….to your health!
PS – to really round out your Irish, be sure to try my Best Homemade Guinness Corned BeefThe Best Homemade Guinness Corned Beef recipe too!
Traditional Irish Colcannon
Ingredients
- 1 medium head Green Cabbage cut into large pieces
- 2 Fresh Pork Hocks smoked, if available
- 16 cups Water
- 8 large Russett Poatoes peeled and cut into quarters
- 1-1/2 sticks Butter Irish butter preferred
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 8 ounces Heavy Cream
- 2 teaspoons Salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
Boiled Cabbage
- In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water, cabbage and pork hocks to a boil. Then, reduce to a low simmer. Cook until cabbage is very tender and pork hocks fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
Mashed Potatoes
- In a separate large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork-tender. When done, drain potatoes in a colander and return to pot. Lightly mash potatoes with potato masher or potato ricer. Do not whip with a mixer! You'll want some small chunks of potato remaining. Heat milk to a low simmer, and slowly stir into potatoes using a fork and a light touch. Add heavy cream and 1 stick of butter, using a fork and a light touch. Do not over stir potatoes. Gently fold in boiled cabbage and the meat from the cooked pork hocks. Spoon mixture into a large serving bowl. Using a large spoon, create a deep well in the center, and place remaining 1/2 stick of butter, cubed, into center of well and allow to melt. Serve immediately.
